Buoyed by Uttarakhand result, Congress attacks Modi government

New Delhi: Buoyed by the restoration of its government in Uttarakhand, Congress today targeted the Modi dispensation in the Lok Sabha, saying it now hopes that the Opposition governments will not be toppled anymore and the "murder of democracy" will stop.

Soon after Supreme Court made public today the result of the confidence vote held in Uttarakhand Assembly yesterday, Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge informed the House about it the development in which his party was declared a winner.

"Hope that the Centre would refrain from using Article 356 (by which President's Rule is imposed on a state) and stop the murder of democracy," he said, amid thumping of desks by Congress members, including party chief Sonia Gandhi.

NCP members also joined in the thumping of desks as Kharge expressed the hope that the Centre would henceforth restrain from "such wrong and malafide moves".

His remarks evoked sharp protests from BJP members. Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House for lunch recess.

Earlier, she asked Kharge twice to specify the subject on which he wanted to speak during the Zero Hour which was in progress. He, however, did not specify.

The Centre had imposed President's Rule in Uttarakhand in March 27, claiming "Constitutional breakdown" there following a disputed passage of Appropriation Bill on March 18.

Harish Rawat is all set to be reinstated as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, over six weeks after he was ousted by the Centre, with the Supreme Court today putting its stamp of approval on the floor test in the Assembly yesterday."Rawat gets 33 votes out of 61 in the floor test. No irregularities were found in the voting. 9 MLAs could not vote due to their disqualification," an Apex Court bench said and directed revocation of the President's rule forthwith so that 68-year-old Rawat can assume office as Chief Minister.

Celebrations broke out in Dehradun the moment the news trickled in from the court that Rawat has won the trial of strength in the Assembly yesterday which was carried out on the instructions of the Supreme Court.

The developments have come as a major loss of face for the Modi Government at the Centre which had dismissed the Congress government and imposed President's rule after nine Congress MLAs sided with the BJP on the Appropriation Bill.